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A review by holdenwunders_
What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The moment I read The Connellys of County Down, I went to Tracey Lange’s Goodreads page and immediately added What Happened to the McCrays? There was no cover, no synopsis, no release date, just the name of a new book I knew I already wanted to read.
There has been a slew of family drama books in literary fiction for some years but Lange is still one of the best to do it. She captures the nuances of family life, grief, pain, while also encapsulating the joy and community that is necessary to tell a story like this. And that is why she’s the best. It’s not a mirage of deep seated grief without the dual perspective that needs to accompany it, hope.
Just like One Tree Hill isn’t about basketball, and Ted Lasso isn’t about football, What Happened to the McCrays isn’t a book about hockey so please don’t let this fool you into not reading it. It’s an overarching plot line that lends to the true story between Casey and Kyle and the community bound to them. Through the endless, unconditional love thrust upon them they are able to grow separately and together.
With that being said, I wasn’t completely enamored with these characters as I was with County Down but I wasn’t disappointed either. It could be the time I’m reading it, the specific characters that I just didn’t connect with as deeply but it also didn’t take away from this beautifully written story. I will always recommend Lange to anyone who wants a story about people because that’s what she does best.
There has been a slew of family drama books in literary fiction for some years but Lange is still one of the best to do it. She captures the nuances of family life, grief, pain, while also encapsulating the joy and community that is necessary to tell a story like this. And that is why she’s the best. It’s not a mirage of deep seated grief without the dual perspective that needs to accompany it, hope.
Just like One Tree Hill isn’t about basketball, and Ted Lasso isn’t about football, What Happened to the McCrays isn’t a book about hockey so please don’t let this fool you into not reading it. It’s an overarching plot line that lends to the true story between Casey and Kyle and the community bound to them. Through the endless, unconditional love thrust upon them they are able to grow separately and together.
With that being said, I wasn’t completely enamored with these characters as I was with County Down but I wasn’t disappointed either. It could be the time I’m reading it, the specific characters that I just didn’t connect with as deeply but it also didn’t take away from this beautifully written story. I will always recommend Lange to anyone who wants a story about people because that’s what she does best.